Washboard



G. Wl SH-OEMAKER.

WASHBOARD.

APPucMIoN FILED Dec. so, 1919.

1,353,792, y Pmwdsept. 21,1920.

l G, SMM/@ier l GEORGE W. sHoEMAKER, or DALTON, .PENNsYnvANrAL y WASHBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patlentd Sept.V 21, 15.920.

- Application mea December 3o, 1919. serial no..v 348,335.

'To all whom t may concern.' e

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SHOE` MAKER, a citizen of the United States, residV ing at Dalton, in the county of Lackawanna by a cake -of soap held in the washboard can be fed outwardly .so that, as. the fabrics are worked back and forth over the wash board they will rub over the cake of sOap.

Another object is toprovide means whereby the cake of soap can b e `adjusted-readily and held in any position to which it may be adjusted, there being means for irmly gripping a cake of soap of any size prior to or while being adjusted. Y

Another object is to provide a structure of this character which is simple durable and compact and can be manipulated readily. Y

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter. described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departi ing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

nsaid drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a washboard having the present improvements combined therewith.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the complete board.

Fig. 3 is a plan View.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section through the soap gripping means.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the side strips of the washboard connected by a lower cross strip 2, a board 3 and a top strip 4. -The board 3 is provided with the usual rubbing surface 4 preferably formed of corrugated vmetal and at the upper end of this rubbing surface an opening 5 is formed in the board to receive the soap. The upper wall of the opening is slidably engaged by a bent plate 6 which straddles said wall and slides on the two facesof the board and extends lupwardly along the outer` surface of said board into a.y

recess 7 formed in the top strip 4 and a spring 8-which is interposed between the lower portion of the plate 6 and the board 3 serves to hold said plate pressed downwardly within the opening 5, the downward movement of the platebeing limitedby-a lug 9 extending inwardlyffrom theupper portion of the plate as. shown particularly in Fig. 5 so thaty the parts are .thus held as- A sembled and the plate cannot movedownwardly such a distance as toi become disengaged from-,the board 3.l It is to beundery stood lthata slot, v10 provided in the boardv 3 atits upper end within which'the lu'g 9 works. Obviously when a cake of soap is placed in the opening 5 the plate 6 is first pressed upwardly to allow the cake to be positioned after which said plate is released and the spring 8 will clamp the soap between the lower wall of the opening 5 and the vlower portion of the plate 6.

the rear edge is a slot 11 which intersects with transverse notches 12 formed in the v top strip. Any one of these notches fis adapted to receive the head 13 of a tongue f 14 which extends upwardly frorna plate `15. This plate has longitudinal slots 16 for the reception of screws 17 or the like which engage a strip 18 located back of the board 3.

Said strip 18 is secured at its lower end to the cross strip 2 and is flexible, it being preferably formed of wood. VIt is to beunderstood that by lifting the head 13 outV 0f engagement with the notch 12 the tongue 14 can be swung back and forth within the slot 11 thus to move the strip 18 relative to the board 3, and when the strip 18 has been brought to a desired position the head 13 can be dropped into the adjacent notch 12 thus to hold the strip 18 against further, movement. vA block 19 is secured to the strip 18 directly back of the opening 5 and is adapted to bear against thek cake of soap within the opening 5 so as to feed it vforwardly when the strip 18 is adjusted toward Vthe board 3. Y

It will be seen thatV by constructing th device as described it can be formed of few parts, will securely hold the cake of soap wherever desired and will not easily get out of order. Y

Wha-t is claimed is:

l. The combination with a Washboard having an opening therein for the reception of a cake of soap, of a strip mounted back of the board and adjustable relative thereto, soap engaging means carried by the strip, and cooperating means upon said strip and the upper Vend of the Washboard for holding the strip against movement relative to the opening.

2. In a Washboard the combination with a board having a rubbing surface and provided With an opening for the reception of a cake of soap, of a slotted top strip having transverse notches, a strip connected to and shiftable relative to the board and having soap engaging means, and means ymovable with the strip and relative thereto Within the slot Jfor engagement with any one of the notches to hold the strip against movement relative to the opening.

3. rIhe combination With a Washboard having a soap receiving opening and a slotted top strip having notches, of a strip below the slotted strip and shiftable relative to the opening, soap engaging means on said strip, a head slidably connected to said strip and shi'ftable Within the slot, said head being movable into any one of the notches to hold the strip against movement relative to the opening.

4L. The combination With a Washboard having a soap receiving opening, of a slotted top strip having notches therein, a strip shiftable relative to the opening and below the top strip, soap engaging means carried thereby, a tongue slidably connected to and movable with said last named strip and slidable Within the slot, and a head upon the tongue and shiftable into any one of the notches to hold the movable strip against shifting relative to the opening.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oivn, I have hereto aiiiXed my signature in the presence of tivo Witnesses.

GEORGE W. SHOEMAKER.

Witnesses Roi-rr. H. l/IILLER, JOHN J. REEDY. 

